Tourism and recreation opportunities

In Kyrgyzstan, currently dominated by one-way flow of people and resources from uplands to the plains, which, among other things, also contributes to the center and puts the interests of the sector problem that opportunities for tourism and recreation in the mountain areas are not fully utilized, and activities in this area is not carried out continuously, taking into account environmental factors.

This applies to the full extent of the unused potential of tourism such as the splendor of the landscape and nature, rich in natural diversity and unique way of life characteristic of mountainous regions; cultural identity of the people, and many other features. This also applies to the rich mineral resources kyrgyzskih mountains, which can be used in the health tourism and rehabilitation, recreational purposes. Features kyrgyzskogo people to use medical resources of the mountains represent an additional potential for the leisure industry. There is currently no control over the state and quality of medicinal / recreational resources. Learn more about grand canyon activities!

Minor investments in reconstruction from both local and foreign investors and poor level of infrastructure development for recreation and tourism, are signs of inadequate structural conditions, partly related to the imperfection of the legal and administrative spheres. The process of obtaining visas to travel to Kyrgyzstan and neighboring countries are highly complicated. The procedure for obtaining a visa is time consuming and prone to frequent changes. In addition, tourists are often faced with the undesirable problems related to border and customs control. Join in the country can also be fraught with complications.

Another explanation for the reluctance to invest may be justified or not, or insufficiently developed an unfavorable view of the social and economic depression, which were the countries of Central Asia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. This may scare off tourists on the choice of the region in favor of the other mountain regions in the world. And investors' reaction to this is quite logical. In addition, the unresolved problem of security in the areas of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan in the Pamirs and Ferghana Valley threatened by the fact that tourists may refuse to visit the whole region.

Risks and Opportunities

Without a doubt, tourism can help many mountainous areas of Kyrgyzstan. But the opportunities and dangers that brings tourism, must be seen realistically to develop the concept, which neutralizes the negative impact as possible.

It is easy to convince all of the benefits of tourism. It is therefore necessary to pay special attention to the possible negative consequences in the very beginning in order to avoid errors.

Economic losses associated with tourism resulting from tourism, is a real danger for the mountain population. The danger starts with the fact that the travel company, located in the city, brought tourists, guides, provisions, tents, etc., without the participation of local communities in the provision of services and income. There is also a risk that the state revenue from tourism, obtained through taxes for foreign expenses, rather than reinvesting them in the mountain villages. Without careful management of revenues between the processes of migration of the highlands and plains, there will be an inevitable flow of these revenues in the plains, resulting in a mountain population left with depleted resources, increased prices and adverse changes in the culture and lifestyle.

This can happen within a relatively short time periods, as the tourism industry is affected by changes in fashion, the industry in which demand for different services and types of accommodation, not only appears and grows, but may change over time or fall, often for just a few years. The usual life cycle of tourist services begins with the growth, which inevitably gives way to slower growth or stagnation, and ultimately the fall, depending on the extent to which local cultural and social fabric, as well as the environment, have a negative impact.

Even a relatively small group of tourists can have an impact on local communities if their motives and actions are contrary to the norms and goals of the community. Entrepreneurs tend to expand the scope of services and improved facilities, trying to maintain a competitive advantage. The combination of increasing the attractiveness of the greater degree of availability and the rising image (with the general expectations of the market) often leads to loss of cultural originality and quality of the environment and, therefore, to changes in the types of tourists. One result was the commercialization of culture and the banal to the degenerate representations, without any sense. In general, the relationship owners (residents) and visitors (tourists) have a tendency to commercialization, which could give rise to conflicts among different groups of customers, as well as among tourists and locals.

With the help of modern technology increases the possibility of the tourism industry to penetrate the more remote, inaccessible mountain regions located at high altitude, and the impact of tourism on the environment is getting worse. In the developed countries of Europe and North America, for example, a large and growing flow of people into the mountains for recreation is accompanied by a large number of negative impacts on mountain ecosystems, mountain villages and their inhabitants. It is not specific only for countries with a developed industry, but, as exemplified in Nepal and other countries.

However, external influences are not always negative, it can also act as a catalyst for positive change in favor of development, as well as the traditional way of life and is often manifested by a tendency towards urbanization does not prevent the necessary adaptation to mountain conditions.

Thus, the intensification of tourism and recreation will change the face of the mountain, economic and social conditions in the mountain regions. The art is to use this potential as a means to attract tourists and investment in the mountainous areas of Kyrgyzstan for the benefit of the population of the mountains, without prejudice to mountain ecosystems. If this process is well controlled, that tourism can make a contribution to improving the productivity of resources and services offered by the mountains, as an important element of the national economy of Kyrgyzstan.

Strategy

The purpose of this sector is the constant use of the potential of mountain tourism and recreation in the light of environmental factors.

To achieve this goal offers synchronous and coordinated activities at three different levels:

A. Group of all stakeholders, consisting of representatives of the local population (not the local administration and representatives of interested groups working at the village level), tour operators and government representatives should be developed for tourism policy under the leadership of the Government. Should be studied and understood the social and environmental compatibility and susceptibility to a variety of tourist activities. On this basis, from a wide variety of tourist services are to be chosen the most compatible and at the same time the most promising for Kyrgyzstan. The policy on tourism should not neglect the recreational and wellness resources for this specific target group.

To develop a common policy imperative have the ability to distinguish between tourists and compare the nature and significance of various impacts, both positive and negative. An essential prerequisite for maximizing benefits and minimizing the negative aspect is the availability of the required adequate, consistent and transparent information, such as collecting data on the trends that can be used for future planning in order to maintain a record of and response to these dynamic phenomena.

There are two extreme examples of tourism policy. The Royal Government of Bhutan is trying to minimize the impact of tourism on the culture of the country by introducing a daily fee of 200 U.S. dollars from foreign tourists who have to use packaged holidays, organized by one of the 33 local tour operators. This policy significantly contrasts with the policy of Nepal, whose government, restricting access to many regions of the country, will charge a small fee for visas and tourism industry has an extensive network, which is increasingly growing.

On the basis of an agreed policy on tourism should be developed leadership, leaving enough room for individual initiatives, but at the same time, precluding certain tourist activities that are incompatible with the environmental and social conditions. This guide should also include environmental regulations, which must be respected by all parties to the tourism and recreation.

For the implementation of tourism development in accordance with established policies, it is proposed to establish an interim committee

includes representatives of the village (from interest groups), tour operators and government representatives. The purpose of this committee is competent coordination, social, cultural, economic and environmental contribution to tourism in order to achieve maximum benefit for the mountain people and the environment. The Committee shall also act as a pressure group to facilitate visa procedures at the national and regional level, the procedures of the border, and also to address other issues hindering the development of image development turizma.Obschee kyrgyzskih mountains should also be the task of the above committee. The image is crucial in deciding whether to individuals arriving in Kyrgyzstan.

Two. At the village level to inform, educate and raise awareness of the population in the area of ​​environmental issues, on the assessment of their culture and customs, as well as on the limitations and possibilities of tourism, etc. In the future, to train them in the context of a proper attitude towards tourists and the provision of services the proper level.

Involvement of all stakeholders in the preparation of plans for tourism development, especially the local population is a prerequisite for the success of tourism activities. Arrangements for tourism planning at the village level should be integrated into strategies and plans at the local level, which usually also include activities in other sectors that are important to the local community. An essential part of planning activities is the determination of and compliance with the maximum permissible environmental and social burden on the region. This means that the village should have the right to set their own limits on the number of tourists and tourist activities.

Three. Tour operators, which are generally located in urban centers, mainly in Bishkek, must maintain the image that has the Kyrgyzstan as a tourist destination. Establishment and strengthening of associations of tour operators will definitely help solve these common problems. Tour operators need to establish contacts and business relations with foreign travel agencies and play an important role in the promotions, which include the preparation of information material on Kyrgyzstan. They are also those persons who have to care about tourists who come to Kyrgyzstan, and that direct tourists to the mountains (the management of visitors). On the basis of a fair agreement with the local mountain people, they will also coordinate tours of tourists at the national and regional level, taking into account the features of the village and services, as well as implementing their programs.

The cooperation between tour operators and interest groups in the mountain villages, which takes into account the needs and the needs of the local population, is the most important factor for the development of environmentally and socially acceptable tourism and recreation industry that supports and does not deplete the mountain regions. In addition, the following strategic issues for further consideration:

At the village level, as well as at the national level, preference should be given to qualitative rather than quantitative growth turizma.Ne be overlooked by visitors from the lowlands and urban centers and neighboring countries. It is possible that visitors from the Central Asian region and Russia will outweigh the number of foreign visitors and even their financial contribution.

For tourists from Europe, America and Southeast Asia, the development of the tourism industry should be concentrated along the ancient Silk Road and other ancient routes to provide an interconnected system of trails and databases. This will encourage a longer stay on numerous bases, possibly offering a variety of events.

Loyalty to traditional activities and customs can help local people to preserve their cultural identity and contribute to the creation of the image of Kyrgyzstan, which suggested to see tourists.

Possible actions

Considering the present stage of development of the tourism industry, it can be concluded that the rural population is the least developed stakeholder in the tourism and recreation. Necessary to fully involve the rural population in these activities, it must be the primary recipient of benefits. Therefore, the most important part is the development of local villages by identifying their needs and the needs of tourism against the background of established knowledge about the environment, the advantages and disadvantages of tourism, as well as their own abilities and potential of the environment. Priority should be given to buffer zones of protected areas. TACIS project for the Western Tien Shan poses an important task of developing models in this regard. But these activities should also be initiated in other areas through special projects, working at the village level, such as already existing in Naryn project Helvetas.

Up to a certain level of tour-operators also have to feel responsible for these preparations, or at least in part, to participate in relevant activities in the rural as professionals. In this context, should be established an effective communication link between the mountain village communities and travel agencies.

As the definition of such villages, rural populations have become a serious partner for tour operators and government agencies should be developed aforementioned tourism policies and regulations, and shall be a Steering Committee

On this basis, investment in facilities for recreation in order to attract local and regional tourists. In particular, the development of recreation areas that are already well known in the region and which offer a wide variety of ways to use them, for example, Lake Issyk-Kul Lake and the surrounding neighborhood. The feasibility study should confirm the financial viability and environmental acceptability. An inventory of existing recreational and health resources at the national level and monitoring will help identify investment priorities.

For the development of tourism investment is required. Need to improve transport links (public and private) and access to areas of Kyrgyzstan, of interest, ie to national parks, places of historical significance. It also needs to improve regional communications along the ancient Silk Road. The routes for the target groups more than adventure tourism should be sufficiently cross-country, but not required, to bring them to the perfect state. An essential prerequisite is also promoting the harmonization of visa procedures and the procedures of the border.

For any investments in Kyrgyzstan, it is important to create such legislation and administrative procedures that would encourage local and foreign private investors.

Requires training of professionals to support many aspects of the tourism industry, for example, mountain guides, transport operators, counselors, groups, mountain rescuers, employees of hotels. Preference for training should be given to people from the mountainous regions that are planning to work in their villages. Existing tour operators association must be maintained to lobby the government, reforming the legal and administrative barriers for investors and tourists as part of the proposed above, the steering committee.